MATCH STATS
- #25 Wichita State def. East Carolina, 3-0 (25-16, 27-25, 25-19)
- Wichita State improves to 18-3, 10-0 AAC; ECU drops to 15-7, 7-3 AAC
- Wichita, Kansas
- Attendance: 2174
- Box score
WICHITA, Kan. – 25th-ranked Wichita State continued its supremacy over the entirety of the AAC by sweeping East Carolina at home, 3-0 (25-16, 27-25, 25-19), in the two teams’ first-ever meeting. The conference’s leader in team hitting percentage (.282) upped their mark by hitting .331 against the Pirates and limiting the AAC’s third-best hitting percentage offense below their average (.227). This was also WSU’s 10th straight victory, and the Shockers are now two full games clear of second place teams SMU and Temple (both are 8-2 in the AAC).
The Shockers were led by the AAC’s leader in hitting percentage, senior middle blocker Abbie Lehman, with 17 kills on an impressive attack line (17-2-24, .625). Mikaela Raudsepp added a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs. She also served the only 3 aces in the match. Tabitha Brown added 11 kills to round out the double-digit kill producers for the Shockers. Senior setter Emily Hiebert brought a double-double of her own, producing a match-high 42 assists to go along with 10 digs. Libero Giorgia Civita held the back line in check with a team-high 17 digs.
For the Pirates, Natalie Montini pounded 15 kills to go along with 3 blocks. Montini, the AAC’s third-best attacker by hitting percentage, upped her mark by hitting .524 on the day. Setter Shelby Martin had ECU’s only double-double, dishing out 32 assists and scooping 10 digs. This was Martin’s fourth-straight double-double. Libero Brandee Markwith dug a match-high 19 balls for the Pirates.
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. – No. 21 Wichita State [18-3, 10-0] defeated ECU, 3-0, inside Charles Koch Arena to remain unbeaten in conference play. The Shockers swept the Pirates by scores of 25-16, 27-25 and 25-19.
Abbie Lehman led the Shockers with 17 kills, while hitting.625. Mikaela Raudsepp finished with 13 kills, 11 digs and three service aces. Tabitha Brown added 11 kills, while Emily Hiebertfinished with 42 assists and 10 digs.
SET 1:
• The Shockers kept a two point lead early in the set
• Raudsepp’s sixth kill of the afternoon pushed the lead to three at 11-8
• A Lehman kill gave the Shockers a six point lead at the media timeout
• The Pirates cut into the lead until two Brown kills and a Abby Pugh block pushed the lead back to six at 18-12
• Lehman’s fourth kill of the afternoon forced a Pirates timeout at 23-16
• Back to back service aces from Raudsepp gave the Shockers a 25-16 win
SET 2:
• The set went back and forth early until a three point run gave the Pirates a 6-3 lead
• ECU kept the lead at two until a Pirates kill pushed the lead back to three at the media timeout [15-12]
• The teams exchanged points until an attack error forced a Shockers timeout at 20-17
• An attack error and a kill from Alex Koon cut the lead to one and force a Pirates timeout at 22-21
• Raudsepp’s 11th kill of the afternoon tied the score at 23-23
• A Lehman kill and a block by Hiebert and Lehman gave the Shockers a 27-25 win
SET 3:
• Lehman’s 12th kill of the day gave the Shockers an early 4-3 lead
• The teams exchanged points until a Lehman kill gave the Shockers their first lead of the set at 11-10
• A kill from Koon and an attack error gave the Shockers a two point lead at the media timeout [15-13]
• A Brooke Smith kill pushed the lead to four at 19-15
• Koon’s seventh kill of the day pushed the lead to six and forced a Pirates timeout at 22-16
• Two Lehman kills gave the Shockers a 25-19 victory
Courtesy of East Carolina Athletics
WICHITA, Kan. – No. 21 Wichita State put three players in double figures in kills on the way to a 3-0 (25-16, 27-25, 25-19) American Athletic Conference victory over ECU Sunday afternoon inside Koch Arena. The setback marked the first for the Pirates since a 3-2 loss to SMU back on Sept. 29.
Team Records: ECU (15-7, 7-3 AAC) | No. 21 Wichita State (18-3, 10-0 AAC)
Senior middle hitter Natalie Montini paced the Pirate offense with 15 kills and a .542 hitting percentage while freshman setter Shelby Martin turned in her fourth-straight double-double with 32 assists and 10 digs. Defensively, sophomore Brandee Markwith was the best statistical libero on the floor as she racked up 19 digs. Abbie Lehman put down a match-high 17 kills and a .625 hitting percentage to lead the Shockers.
Wichita State ran its offense efficiently, recording 55 kills on 127 attempts with 13 errors for a .331 hitting mark. ECU was low error itself, committing just 14 miscues and notching 43 kills on 128 swings to end up firing at a .227 clip. The teams put on a defensive clinic, combining for 120 digs in the three sets. The Pirates also out-blocked the best blocking team in the conference 5.0 to 4.0.
Torbett’s Take: “We learned a lot today. I think we competed with Wichita State offensively for a majority of the match and Natalie had one of the best performances of her career. We are in a really good spot as the second half of conference play starts next week.”
Set One: ECU stayed close early in the opening set, trailing 11-9 after a kill by Wood. The Shockers scored the next four points to pull ahead by six before closing out the frame with consecutive aces.
Set Two: The Pirates jumped ahead early in the stanza, building a 6-3 lead following a kill by Wood. ECU stayed in front for a majority of the frame, leading 20-17 when Wichita State committed an attacking error. The Pirates were in front 22-18 late, but a 4-0 run allowed the Shockers to knot the score at 22. A kill by Montini gave the lead back to ECU briefly, but two-straight points put Wichita State at set point. The Pirates fought off three total set points before a block gave the Shockers the narrow victory and a 2-0 intermission match lead.
Set Three: The teams battled back and forth in the third frame, settling for a tie at 13 points apiece. Wichita State began to pull away, using a 4-0 run to establish some breathing room. With the score at 20-16 later in the stanza, the Shockers scored five of the last eight points to clinch the sweep.
News and Notes
- The contest marked the first meeting between the programs.
- ECU dropped to 5-2 in true road matches in 2017.
- With the first half of American Conference play complete, the Pirates have won at least two sets against every league team except the nationally-ranked Shockers.
- ECU held Wichita State well under its 2.58 blocks per set average.
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